Composite soldering, de-soldering station load detection

Abstract

A soldering and de-soldering station and systems including enhanced features for the soldering heating tools and load detection functionality.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A soldering system for use in soldering and de-soldering of electrical devices, the soldering system comprising:
 a control station including a central processing unit (CPU) and operations programs; 
 a thermal tool assembly including a cable, a handle connected to said control station by said cable, and at least one cartridge removably installed in said handle and powered by said control station, said cartridge including a tip temperature sensor; 
 a load detection circuit within said control station to detect an applied amount of energy during a soldering operation; and 
 a program to monitor the load detection circuit and an amount of power delivered to said cartridge to identify the beginning and completion of each soldering operation based upon an energy load delivered by said control station to said cartridge said program further comprising: 
 monitoring the applied amount of energy delivered by the soldering station to the thermal tool assembly; 
 monitoring a tip temperature of the thermal tool assembly; 
 determining that there has been a drop in the tip temperature in excess of a predetermined amount representing the beginning of the soldering operation; 
 upon determining that the soldering operation has begun, calculating the energy input to the thermal tool assembly provided by the control station; 
 determining when the input energy for the soldering operation exceeds a first lower level user established input energy level; and 
 causing the control station to provide an indication that the lower level has been exceeded. 
 
     
     
       2. A soldering system for use in soldering and de-soldering of electrical devices, the soldering system comprising:
 a control station including a central processing unit (CPU) and operations programs wherein said CPU is programmed with a lower level energy input for a soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the lower level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station; 
 a thermal tool assembly including a cable, a handle connected to said control station by said cable, and at least one cartridge removably installed in said handle and powered by said control station, said cartridge including a tip temperature sensor; 
 a load detection circuit within said control station to detect an applied amount of energy during a soldering operation; and 
 a program to monitor the load detection circuit and an amount of power delivered to said cartridge to identify the beginning and completion of each soldering operation based upon an energy load delivered by said control station to said cartridge. 
 
     
     
       3. The soldering system of  claim 2 , wherein said load detection circuit comprises: a voltage detector and a current detector to measure the voltage and current delivered by a power supply, said voltage detector and said current detector each being connected to and controlled by said CPU. 
     
     
       4. The soldering system of  claim 2 , wherein said CPU is programmed with an upper level energy input for the soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the upper level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station. 
     
     
       5. The soldering system of  claim 2 , wherein said operations program for controlling the operation of said control station further comprises:
 monitoring the applied energy delivered by the soldering station to a soldering device; 
 monitoring the tip temperature of the soldering device; 
 determining that there has been a drop in the tip temperature in excess of a predetermined amount representing the beginning of the soldering operation; 
 upon determining that the soldering operation has begun, calculating the energy input to the soldering device provided by the control station; 
 determining when the input energy for the soldering operation exceeds a first lower level user established input energy level; and 
 causing the control station to provide an indication that the lower level has been exceeded. 
 
     
     
       6. A soldering system for use in soldering and de-soldering of electrical devices, the soldering system comprising:
 a control station including a central processing unit (CPU) and operations programs wherein said CPU of said control station is programmed with a lower level energy input for a soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the lower level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station and an upper level energy input for the soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the upper level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station; 
 a thermal tool assembly including a cable, a handle connected to said control station by said cable, and at least one cartridge removably installed in said handle and powered by said control station, said cartridge including a tip temperature sensor; 
 a load detection circuit within said control station to detect an applied amount of energy during a soldering operation; and 
 a program to monitor the load detection circuit and an amount of power delivered to said cartridge to identify the beginning and completion of each soldering operation based upon an energy load delivered by said control station to said cartridge. 
 
     
     
       7. The soldering system of  claim 6 , wherein the operations program further comprises:
 monitoring the applied energy delivered by a soldering station to the thermal tool assembly; 
 monitoring the tip temperature of the thermal tool; 
 determining that there has been a drop in the tip temperature in excess of a predetermined amount representing the beginning of the soldering operation; 
 upon determining that the soldering operation has begun, calculating the energy input to the thermal tool assembly provided by the control station; 
 determining when the input energy for the soldering operation exceeds a first lower level user established input energy level; and 
 causing the control station to provide an indication that the lower level has been exceeded. 
 
     
     
       8. The operations program of  claim 7 , wherein the step of causing the control station to provide an indication further comprises causing the control station to generate an audible beep, chime or tone. 
     
     
       9. The operations program of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 after the operations program determines that the input energy for the soldering operation exceeds a first lower level, the operations program monitors the tip temperature of the thermal tool assembly to detect a temperature increase indicative of the end of the soldering operation. 
 
     
     
       10. The operations program of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 after the operations program determines that the input energy for the soldering event exceeds a first lower level, the operations program determines if the input energy has exceeded a second, upper level; and 
 when the operations program determines that the second, upper level has been exceeded, the operations program causes the control station to provide an indication that the upper level has been exceeded. 
 
     
     
       11. A system for use in soldering and de-soldering of electrical devices, the system comprising:
 a control station including a central processing unit (CPU) and operations programs, said control station further including a load detection circuit comprising a voltage detector and a current detector to measure a voltage and a current delivered by a power supply, said voltage detector and said current detector each being connected to and controlled by said CPU; 
 a thermal tool assembly for soldering or de-soldering operations, said thermal tool assembly including a tip temperature sensor that provides tip temperature data to said CPU; and 
 an operation program loaded into said CPU to monitor said load detection circuit to identify when the rate at which energy delivered to energize the thermal tool increases, or if the frequency of an energization cycle increases to determine that a soldering load is being applied by said control station to said thermal tool, wherein said CPU is programmed with a lower level energy input for a soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the lower level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising an operation program loaded into said CPU to monitor said tip temperature sensor to identify the beginning and ending of the soldering operation. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said control station further comprises a program to monitor the power delivered to said thermal tool to identify the completion of each soldering operation based upon the energy load provided to said thermal tool. 
     
     
       14. A system for use in soldering operations, the system comprising:
 at least one control station including a central processing unit (“CPU”) and associated circuitry, a display and control elements to allow a user to input control information to the control station; 
 said control station further including circuitry to receive a tip temperature signal from a soldering device, and circuitry to allow said control station to monitor and measure a voltage and a current delivered by said control station to a soldering device; and 
 said CPU of said control station having a program to identify the beginning of a soldering operation, determine an amount of power delivered by the soldering station to a soldering device during the soldering operation, and identify when the soldering operation has been completed, wherein said CPU of said control station is programmed with a lower level energy input for a soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the lower level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station and an upper level energy input for the soldering operation, and said CPU causes said control station to generate an indication that the upper level energy input for the soldering operation has been delivered by the control station. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein said program to determine the power delivered to said cartridge identifies the completion of said soldering operation based upon a cumulative energy load delivered to the soldering device, said program further providing control of an alerting indicator to notify a user that said soldering operation has been completed. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein said circuitry to allow said control station to monitor and measure the voltage and current delivered by said control station to a soldering device further comprises:
 a load detection circuit comprising a voltage detector and a current detector to measure the voltage and current delivered by said control station. 
 
     
     
       17. A method for controlling the operation of a soldering system that includes a soldering device and a controlled power supply for the soldering device, the method comprising:
 monitoring an applied energy delivered to the soldering device by the power supply; 
 monitoring a tip temperature of the soldering device; 
 determining that there has been a drop in the tip temperature greater than a predetermined amount representing the beginning of a soldering event; 
 upon determining that a soldering event has begun, calculating an applied energy input to the soldering device provided by the power supply; 
 determining when the applied energy for the soldering event exceeds a first lower level user established applied energy level; and 
 causing the soldering device to produce an indication that the first lower level has been exceeded. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 after determining that the applied energy for the soldering event exceeds the first lower level, continuing to calculate the applied energy input to the soldering device provided by the power supply; 
 determining when the applied energy for the soldering event exceeds a second, upper level; and 
 causing the soldering device to provide an indication that the second upper level has been exceeded.